News: Bid on Custom Painted Rocky and Help Brent Thompson Medical Fund, BC Bike Race Announces New Route for '09

Rocky Mountain Bicycles Donates Custom Painted Frame for Brent Thomson Medical Fund.

Rocky Mountain Bicycles announced the donation of a custom painted mountain bike frame for auction, all proceeds will go to benefit the Brent Thomson medical fund. The Auction will begin Thursday January 29th at 5 pm PST.

Brent Thomson, Godfather and Trail Master of Bootleg Canyon (bootlegcanyon.org) suffered a heart attack last Saturday while riding the trails that he has famously cut into the mountains surrounding Boulder City, a stones throw from Las Vegas, Nevada.

When Brent Thomson's heart attack and surgery came to the attention of the people at Rocky Mountain Bicycles, we knew we had to do something to help Brent and his family. We went to work painting one of our Classic Element Team frames. We also wanted to create a beautiful and eye catching piece in the hopes of attracting as much attention and money as possible for Brent's medical fund. The result is a truly one-of-a kind, amazing looking frame.

 Brent recently underwent the second Quadruple bi-pass in his life. Sixteen years ago he had the same surgery performed due to an unusually high hereditary cholesterol build-up. Unfortunately, we have learned that in post-operative care, Brent experienced a stroke and is currently recovering from that as well.

Bootleg Canyon Mountain Bike Park is an extensive network of World Class Downhill and Cross Country mountain bike trails located in Boulder City, Nevada. The area has been written up in magazines around the world and IMBA (the International Mountain Bike Association) has certified one of the XC trails as an Epic Ride, a title given out only 18 times so far.

This area and its designation are a crown jewel for the cycling world and we at Rocky Mountain bicycles wish to thank Brent for his hard work. All of the proceeds of this auction will go directly to getting Brent up and back out there to continue creating and maintaining this awesome area.

Good Luck Brent and get well from the folks at Rocky Mountain Bicycles

To view the auction:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MESCX:IT&item=260352947087

To donate without viewing:
https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=2485903

For More Information: www.bootlegcanyon.org

Rocky Mountain Bicycles: www.bikes.com
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BC BIKE RACE ANNOUNCES EXCITING ROUTE CHANGES
“FROM BRIDGE TO SHORE”

The BC Bike Race (BCBR) - The Ultimate Singletrack Experience is proud to announce a brand new route for 2009. The BC Bike Race will kick off 2009 with a ride over the Lions Gate Bridge - from downtown Vancouver to the legendary trails of the North Shore.

Built in 1938, the landmark Lions Gate Bridge connects the city of Vancouver to the North Shore Mountains and communities. The Lions Gate Bridge is the gateway to BC's singletrack and will provide a spectacular start to the 2009 BC Bike Race.

“To be the best mountain bike race in the world we must include the North Shore”, stated Dean Payne, who originally brainstormed the BCBR. Payne had always envisioned a stage on the trails of the North Shore but navigating the hoops and hurdles of big city bylaws without a track record was prohibitive in years one and two. Now that the BCBR has two solid successful years under its belt the time has come to incorporate the North Shore trails.

A few preliminary phone calls to BC Transportation Minister Kevin Falcon and a few more to District of North Vancouver Mayor Richard Walton set the wheels in motion. Mayor Walton, known to some as the “mountain biking Mayor”, immediately embraced the concept and shares Payne's overall vision of the future for both the BC Bike Race and Vancouver's North Shore.

The North Shore, considered one of mountain biking's birthplaces, has produced numerous professional riders, cultivated a range of riding styles and developed innovative trail building techniques that are currently in use the world over. And now the BC Bike Race will showcase some of the classic mountain bike trails that have been staples since the earliest days of riding 'The Shore'.

Vancouver's North Shore now joins the list of the other amazing BC Bike Race venues that reads like the 'where's where' of the finest in West Coast mountain biking - Vancouver Island, Cumberland, the Sunshine Coast, Squamish and, of course, Whistler.

The event sold out in February last year and with 68% of available 2009 entries already snapped up, it won't be long before the BC Bike Race is sold out again!

Additional BCBR route changes include a new Stage 2 and a variation of Stage 3, while the remainder of the race route remains the same. With these modifications, some longer fire road sections will be removed and more singletrack - what riders really want - will be added; better still, the arrival and departure logistics only get easier for participants.

BC Bike Race would like to thank the Stage 1 and Stage 2 towns visited over the last two years for their enthusiastic participation and support: Victoria, Sooke, Shawnigan Lake, Shawnigan Lake School, Lake Cowichan and Port Alberni.

For more information: www.bcbikerace.com

News: GT Launches Nationwide Grassroots Mountain Bike Program and Wants You!,Troupe Racing Announces 2009 Roster

GT Bicycles Launches Nationwide Grassroots Mountain Bike Program

GT Bicycles today announced it will recruit 35 mountain bike racers nationwide for its new grassroots mountain bike program: the GT Dirt Coalition. Each member will race and represent GT Bicycles and the International Mountain Biking Association (IMBA) at a minimum of six mountain bike races during the 2009 season.

“Amateurs are the unsung heroes of mountain bike racing,” said Jenni Cathcart, Director of Marketing for GT Bicycles. “The GT Dirt Coalition rewards their competitive spirit and commitment to cycling”

Each GT Dirt Coalition member will receive a high-end race machine: GT’s iconic Zaskar Pro hardtail ($3499.99) with GT signature triple triangle frame design or the Marathon Pro ($4299.99), GT’s lightweight full suspension bike utilizing GT’s Independent Drivetrain suspension system. Both models feature a monocoque carbon fiber frame and XT components. Members also receive a 10x10 Dirt Coalition tent, two race kits and GT swag. The sponsorship package is valued at $4,200-$5000.

GT Dirt Coalition members will be selected based upon their leadership in the cycling community, involvement in advocacy, local bike shop affiliations, proposed 2009 race schedule and past race results. If you think you’ve got what it takes to be a GT Dirt Coalition member, please fill out the application at http://www.gtdirtcoalition.com/Apply.htm between January 23 and February 5, 2009.

One note: Any rider who gets paid to race or holds a professional cycling license is not eligible for the Dirt Coalition. And sorry, but all racers must be 18 or older.
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Troupe Racing Company Announces 2009 Sponsors + Team Roster

 Mission Viejo, CA 2008 Southern California mountain bike team Troupe Racing Company is please to announce that they'll be back in force for the 2009 season. This marks the second year for the amateur team which participates in all forms of cross country racing. Team Captain Tim VanGilder said that the response from Troupe's first year from both the riding community and sponsors was beyond expectations. "Our goal will be to continue to build a small and unique mountain bike team similar to a pro team. We're amateurs, but we try to present ourselves as if we're all pros. That takes work, but in the end, its actually a lot fun and adds something special to our team's brand. We're very active in sharing our rides and races online, too - we hope that helps inspire others to get into racing."

The 2009 race schedule will reflect the team's interest in endurance racing. Members have their sights set on events like the Warriors' Society Vision Quest / Counting Coupe, solo and team entries in the 12 Hours of Temecula series, 24 Hours of Adrenaline events, and 24 Hour National Championships, as well as a host of traditional cross country races like Sea Otter Classic and the Rim Nordic series in SoCal.


Sponsors

New for '09, the team is pleased to have Santa Cruz and their Blur XC bikes on board. X-Fusion suspension will compliment the frames and is supporting the team with forks and shocks. "For us, this is the dream set-up," Tim said. Crankbrothers also continues with the team and will supply pedals, directsets, and their new Cobalt xc wheels. Australian based Knog will provide a variety of lights, softgoods, and their new N.E.R.D. cycling computers. 

"Knog is one of those companies that we're really excited to have back for '09. They're totally unexpected for xc racing, but they design awesome lights and products," Tim said. 

To keep the bikes comfortable during those midnight laps, Troupe chose f'izi:k saddles and Ergon grips. WTB will again be their tire of choice. "We wanted to work with WTB because to us, the represent a classic mountain bike brand with excellent quality" Tim said on relationship with WTB. SixSixOne supports the team with gloves and brings a bit of top-quality style to the team's kit, which will again be produced by Hincapie Sportswear. "The Hincapie gear is just awesome. The detail and quality of their clothing is like none other. They are our first choice for our kits" Tim said. Finally, fueling it all is the endurance nutrition power-house, Hammer Nutrition. "We've all been using Hammer for years, so we're really happy to have them officially part of our team" added team rider Randy Profeta who has been a long-time proponent of Hammer's line of products.

Visit www.trouperacingco.com for more info.

Riders

The 2009 team will consist of all the original members. In addition, they welcome a number new riders to the squad.

2009 Roster

Megan Corradino, San Clemente, CA
Laura Knight, Costa Mesa, CA
Michelle VanGilder, Mission Viejo, CA
Monica Zorilla, Aliso Viejo, CA
Randy Profeta, Irvine, CA
John Cordoba, Laguna Niguel, CA
Ben Blank, Wildomar, CA
Tim VanGilder, Mission Viejo, CA
Kevin Akerman, Ladera Ranch, CA
Damon Mann, Ladera Ranch, CA
Roy Alvarado, Lake Forest, CA
Errett Cord, Newport Beach, CA
Joses Kofford, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA

Edited by: Shannon Boffeli

GT Wants to Make You a Mountain Bike Hero

GT Launches the Golden Bike Series

GT Bikes recently announced the creation of a new mountain bike race series with an eye toward promoting amateur racers across the country. The Golden Bike Series is a seven race series and the amateur racer with the fastest overall time at each race will be crowned the GT Golden Bike Winner.

In addition to the accolades of being the fastest amateur racer, The Golden Bike Winner receives their choice of a custom painted golden GT Zaskar or Marathon Team bike to use at the next race in the series. As for getting to that next race. Don't worry, GT will give each winner an all expenses paid trip for two to the following race. While at the race each winner will have their own personal cheerleading squad, complete with pom-poms, and a professional mechanic. And if that racer wins again, it's on to the next race until you lose the crown or complete the series on September 13th.

Michael De Leon, PR Manager at GT bikes said "We wanted to focus on helping privateers and we felt the Golden Bike Series was a good way to do that. GT is a race brand and this follows with the heritage of GT Bikes"

The series itself includes races in all regions of the United States beginning with the Sea Otter Classic and finishing in Massachusetts. Races in the series will vary between Olympic distance cross country and marathon, with an average of one month between races to allow each Golden Bike Winner to log some miles on their new rig.

 In the end, only one amateur racer will be crowned the 2009 GT Golden Bike Champion, but each individual winner on the Golden Bike Series will receive a trip to the Interbike trade show in Las Vegas where they will be presented with their own custom Golden (painted) GT Bike. "We wanted everyone to have a trophy for their accomplishments and this is a trophy that won't collect dust" joked, De Leon.

The competition is open to any amateur racer without a professional license in any cycling discipline, over 18 years of age, and did not receive a free bike from sponsorship in 2009.

GT Golden Bike Series Sponsors include: GT Bikes and Sugoi Clothing

GT Golden Bike Series:

April 19: Sea Otter Classic, Monterey, CA
May 2: GHORBA Big Ring Challenge, Coldspring, TX
May 17: Spring Thaw Mountain Bike Festival, Ashland, OR
June 7: Massanutten Hoo-Ha, Harrisonburg, VA
July 4: Firecracker 50, Breckenridge, CO
August 8: Ore To Shore, Marquette, MI
September 13: Landmine Classic, Hingham, MA